1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an improved automatic apparatus for supplying pull tabs successively to a pull tab inlet port of a machine for automatically assembling slide fastener sliders.
2. Description of the Related Art
An apparatus for supplying pull tabs to an automatic slide fastener slider assembling machine is disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,138,852.
In the apparatus of this U.S. Patent, as shown in FIGS. 20 through 23 of the Patent, a pull tab chute is arcuately curved, and a claw is pivotally and vertically movable to feed out a pull tab at a time from the downstream end of the chute. With this relatively complex arrangement, it is impossible to feed out a flat rectangular pull tab smoothly and accurately so that high-speed assembling operation cannot be achieved.
In a pull tab loading apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,825,126, as shown in FIGS. 21 and 22 of the Patent, a pull tab chute is curved so as to receive pull tabs stacked one over another, each in a horizontal posture. A lowest pull tab is pushed out aside by a pusher. According to this prior art, it is impossible to supply pull tabs smoothly so that high-speed assembling operation is difficult to achieve.
A straight chute is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 41243/1982. With this straight chute, although it is possible to feed flat rectangular pull tabs smoothly, a lowest pull tab is fed out by a complex means so that high-speed assembling operation is difficult to achieve.
Japanese Patent Publication No. 25563/1986 discloses another pull tab loading apparatus equipped with a straight chute. In this prior art, a pull tab locked at the downstream end of the chute is inserted directly into a pull tab attachment hook on a slider body whereupon the hook is caulked to complete a slider, and there are provided at the downstream end of the chute a valve for discharging a completed slider and a lock detector for activating the valve. In the chute at a position above the downstream end, a stop is provided for temporarily locking the pull tab. Thus this prior apparatus is complex in structure and is not suitable for use in high-speed assembling operation.